This month’s podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes discussion on the ongoing federal government shutdown, mass layoffs of federal workers, and potential impacts on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs, which could impact local health department services. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.
Later in the program (8:15), NACCHO experts discuss how various research studies throughout the year serve as the backbone of what is known about local health departments across the United States. This research is then used in peer-reviewed papers that local health departments can use as resources to strengthen their own planning processes. NACCHO releases seven major national studies, including its two flagship studies, the National Profile of Local Health Departments Study (Profile) and the Forces of Change Survey. Both studies have been conducted for decades, so together they provide a stable, long-term picture and a real-time snapshot of what’s changing in local public health. This research is instrumental to contributing to the understanding of local health departments and their needs and is valuable in helping local health departments assess the effectiveness of their health strategies and services.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
This month’s podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), includes discussion on leadership changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the upcoming federal funding deadline, and the House of Representatives’ Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations bill. This legislation was approved by the full House Appropriations Committee on September 9. Additional details are available in NACCHO’s comprehensive analysis of the bill. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.
Later in the program (9:06), NACCHO highlights National Preparedness Month and previews the 2026 Preparedness Summit. The Preparedness Summit, the country’s first and longest-running national conference on public health preparedness, is now accepting abstracts. The theme for next year’s Summit is “Protecting Our Communities: State and Local Preparedness in Action,” focusing on the need for increased self-reliance on state and local partnerships amid a changing federal policy and budget landscape. The Summit will be held April 13-16, 2026, in Baltimore, MD, and registration options are available for in-person or virtual attendance. Abstracts are being accepted for both formats. Learn more at www.preparednesssummit.org.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, August 19, 2025 —This month’s podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), includes discussion of the tragic shooting that happened at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s main campus in Atlanta, Georgia. Speakers also provide an update on the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations bill, which made it out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 31 with bipartisan support. A comprehensive analysis of the bill was posted on NACCHO’s blog published by the NACCHO Government Affairs team. In addition, they describe a recent action alert sent to NACCHO’s Congressional Action Network urging Congress to ask the Office of Management and Budget to remove restrictions on using certain FY25 public health funds to support health departments. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.
Later in the program (8:51), Sarisa Roe, Research and Evaluation Analyst at the CDC Foundation, discusses the launch of their new resource called Overdose Measures Matter. Operating under the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative, the Overdose Measures Matter project helps local public health and community leaders understand which interventions are the most effective and helps them focus their efforts to reach populations with the highest need. The project aims to reduce overdoses by identifying what’s working, assessing programs and outcomes over time, and examining progress across communities.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
On this month’s podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) speakers talk about the recent budget reconciliation bill, which was signed into law this month, and what it means for local health departments. They also discuss the unique features of a budget reconciliation bill and how that differs from the annual appropriations process in Congress. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.
Later in the program (7:23), Commissioner Damōn Chaplin, NACCHO’s new Board President and Health Commissioner for the City of Minneapolis Health Department, discusses how he plans to work with the board to better position NACCHO and local health departments as essential partners in improving the health of people living in American communities. He describes his focus on NACCHO becoming a stronger strategic partner for local health departments by aligning its priorities with long-term challenges facing public health including environmental threats, chronic disease, achieving equitable health outcomes, and emergency preparedness. He explains that the board is made up of leaders with direct, first-hand experience in public health, uniquely positioning them to support local health departments as they navigate pressing challenges from recent funding cuts to a shifting political landscape. Finally, he encourages public health officials to continue moving the field forward by building stronger partnerships and amplifying more community stories.
Washington, DC, June 16, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) speakers discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) President’s Budget Request to Congress, including the Administration’s vision for a new department entitled the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). For more details and updates on the impact of the President’s budget request on local public health, please visit our blog. For weekly updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.
Later in the program (8:44), Dr. Michael Kilkenny, NACCHO Board President and Chief Executive Officer and Health Officer for Cabell-Huntington Health Department, reflects on his tenure as Board President and offers guidance on shaping the future of public health as he prepares to transition to the Immediate Past President role at the end of this month.
Dr. Kilkenny credits the dedication of the board of directors and staff for contributing to key successes during his tenure, including the largest attendance at NACCHO360 and the Preparedness Summit, strong participation within NACCHO workgroups, and the board staying committed and even more united during challenging times. Dr. Kilkenny calls for local health departments to maintain their unity of purpose and continue leading with empathy and love.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, May 16, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) speakers discuss the "skinny” version of the President’s Budget Request to Congress for FY26, which provides limited details on the Administrations priorities, and the Congressional hearings that followed its release. They also report out on multiple Congressional hearings over the past month related to biomedical research and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reorganization. For more frequent updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.
Later in the program (8:39), NACCHO’s Molly Curington, Government Affairs Associate, and Angie McPherson, Senior Website Specialist, discuss the new NACCHO Resource Hub. The platform offers local health departments an easy way to identify tools and resources they can use to strengthen their work. The Hub also provides an opportunity for local health departments to share updates on their programs and initiatives to foster new partnerships.
To learn more about the NACCHO Resource Hub, visit: www.naccho.org/resource-hub.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, April 25, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) speakers discuss the recent reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including significant layoffs of staff working on public health programs, as well as the recently leaked funding “passback” document and what this means for public health. They also share an update on a lawsuit filed by some states against HHS on the clawback of billions of dollars of COVID-era supplemental funding. For more frequent updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.
Later in the program (7:15), Philip “Phil” Huang, MD, MPH, Director and Health Authority at Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS), and Miranda Grant, a DCHHS Program Manager for the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, join NACCHO to discuss DCHHS’ efforts to prevent, detect, treat, and respond to HIV in Dallas County and the critical role local public health plays in improving health outcomes.
During the episode, they share the current state of the epidemic in Dallas County, the disproportionate impact on Black and Hispanic communities, the importance of community partnerships in reaching more diverse populations, the promising outlook for a reduction in new cases by 2030, and how fostering community engagement and data-driven planning will help address the epidemic. They highlight their trauma-informed learning collaborative, a county-wide initiative to help reduce workforce burnout and address stigma surrounding HIV. Dallas County has also seen a significant increase in PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) usage with up to 8,000 residents on PrEP in 2023 versus 300 people in 2014. However, without sustainable investments in HIV prevention, Dallas County faces a growing crisis in its communities and an economic strain – each HIV case prevented saves an estimated $420,000 in lifetime costs. Sign up for NACCHO’s HIV, STI, Viral Hepatitis, and Harm Reduction Digest.
NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: How Lubbock Public Health is Responding to the Measles Outbreak in Texas
Washington, DC, March 21, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) discuss last week’s Continuing Resolution that provides funds for the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2025, updates on the budget reconciliation process—including how it could potentially impact Medicaid—and updates on the confirmation hearings for HHS agency nominees. Subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.
Later in the program (9:15), Katherine Wells, DrPH, Director of Lubbock Public Health in Texas, joins NACCHO to discuss the recent measles outbreak in the United States and initiatives they have implemented to slow the spread in Texas. As of March 20, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a total of 378 measles cases in 18 different jurisdictions, surpassing the total number of measles cases in the United States in 2024. As of March 21, 2025, Texas reported a total of 309 confirmed measles cases, with 40 hospitalizations. For recent updates on the measles outbreak and to view helpful resources, visit: NACCHO’s Blog: 2025 Measles Outbreaks.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, February 14, 2025 — On this month’s podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) discusses the current administration’s executive actions related to public health, shares updates on Fiscal Year 2025 federal funding and the budget reconciliation process, and provides an update on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To get more public health policy updates, subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news.
Later in the program (9:06), NACCHO announces the release of the new Profile Study Dashboard. The interactive dashboard offers nationwide data about the country’s local health departments’ infrastructure and activities. The data presented is collected from NACCHO’s national profile study, the largest and most comprehensive data source on local health department funding, staffing, and partnerships. Users can explore key features like data stories and shareable content to enhance communication efforts and promote public health action.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, January 30, 2025 — On this podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, and Government Affairs Senior Specialist, Lauren Soule discuss updates on the 119th Congress and committee leadership, FY25 funding, Senate confirmation hearings, and new Presidential executive orders related to public health activities. To get more public health policy updates and to subscribe to NACCHO’s News from Washington weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy/news. Contact us at govtaffairs@naccho.org.
Later in the program (8:35), Nicholas Adams, Senior Program Analyst for Environmental Health at NACCHO, concludes the five-part Food Safety series by reviewing the resources and programs shared by previous guests and highlighting NACCHO projects that support local food safety. Nicholas discusses how initiatives like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards, the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model, Retail Program Standards Networks, Oral Learner Train the Trainer Program, and the Council to Improve Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response provide local health departments with the tools to create a safer food system and have a voice in national food safety conversations.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, December 12, 2024 — On this podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, welcomes Kevin Sumner, Health Officer and Director at Middle-Brook Regional Health Commission in New Jersey to discuss his experience with advocacy on behalf of local public health. He is a former President of NACCHO’s Board of Directors and has worked for over 35 years in varying capacities including as an environmental health specialist, health educator, and health officer. He is also a former President of the New Jersey Health Officers Association and created the Public Health Associations Collaborative Effort. To get more public health policy updates and to subscribe to NACCHO’s weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy.
Later in the program (21:35), Nicholas Adams, Senior Program Analyst for Environmental Health at NACCHO, is joined by Traci Stevens, Environmental Health Specialist at Richmond County Health Department in North Carolina. In this fourth installment of NACCHO’s five-part Food Safety podcast series, they discuss how Richmond County Health Department ensures their retail food safety programs are sustainable. The programs were recently awarded the 2024 Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award for their excellence in food safety practices at the local level.
Washington, DC, November 21, 2024 — On this podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, and Lauren Soule, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, discuss the results of the 2024 presidential election, share NACCHO’s recommendations for the next administration and 119th Congress, and provide an update on the ongoing federal FY25 budget negotiations. To get more updates and to subscribe to NACCHO’s weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy.
Later in the program (7:23), Nicholas Adams, Senior Program Analyst on NACCHO’s Food Safety Team, is joined by Melissa Ham, who served as a senior consultant with Wake County Environmental Services in North Carolina. In this third installment of NACCHO’s five-part Food Safety podcast series, they discuss efforts to address foodborne illnesses through retail food programs and how the work from the Retail Program Standards Network in North Carolina, a network of local health departments in partnership with the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has impacted retail food safety work on the local level.
Note: Since the time of the interview, Melissa Ham has moved to a new role as Registered Environmental Health Specialist for Hoke County Environmental Health.
Washington, DC, October 17, 2024 — On this podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, and Lauren Soule, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, provide insights into federal funding now that Congress is out of session until after the election. They also discuss a recent Coalition to Stop Flu congressional briefing featuring NACCHO member Dr. Dianna Abney, Health Officer at the Charles County Health Department in Maryland, a 30th anniversary of the Vaccines for Children Program event featuring NACCHO’s Board President Dr. Michael Kilkenny, and an open letter from NACCHO CEO Lori Tremmel Freeman to local health departments impacted by the recent hurricanes. For more updates and to subscribe to NACCHO’s weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy.
Later in the program (5:03), in this second installment of a five-part Food Safety series, Nicholas Adams, Senior Program Analyst on NACCHO’s Food Safety Team, is joined by Lane Drager, Consumer Protection Program Coordinator at Boulder County Public Health in Boulder County, Colorado. Boulder County has served for several years as a mentor for NACCHO’s Food Safety Mentorship Program under the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model, NACCHO’s Food Safety Workgroup, and with the Council to Improve Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response. In their conversation, Drager discusses Boulder County Environmental Health Division’s oral learner train the trainer program that provides essential food safety training to retail food service staff, regardless of their spoken language. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, retail food establishments experienced a significant labor shortage that led to burnout and high turnover. The labor shortage forced establishments to hire staff inexperienced in food handling and in recent years, it has been critical for local health departments to update their education and training programs to teach proper food handling practices and information on food safety to a wider audience. Drager also shared the improvements in Boulder County’s food safety management systems that can help inform other local health departments in their food safety work.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, September 19, 2024 — On this podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, provide an outlook for federal funding this fall, as the deadline approaches. They also discuss the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing titled, “Investing in a Healthier America: Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment. For more updates and to subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy.
Later in the program (7:08), Nicholas Adams, Senior Program Analyst on NACCHO’s Food Safety Team, is joined by Amanda Anderson, Consumer Health and Food Safety Manager at the Pima County Health Department in Arizona — and a member of the 2024 Cohort of NACCHO’s Food Safety Mentorship Program under the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model Grant Program. In this pilot episode of a five-part Food Safety series, Anderson shares how Pima County’s processes for monitoring and responding to foodborne illness outbreaks has significantly improved due to their work on Standard 5 of the FDA’s Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards and with the Council to Improve Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response. The discussion is focused around improving and utilizing a data-driven foodborne illness tracking program that has made major impacts in Pima County’s efforts to respond to outbreaks.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, September 12, 2024 — On this special podcast episode, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Director of Government Affairs, Victoria Van de Vate, welcomes special guest Eric McNulty, Associate Director of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University, for a bonus episode on best practices to implement for effective preparedness work on the local level. September is National Preparedness Month, and every year NACCHO reinforces the importance of preparing for emergencies and disasters in order to keep families and communities safe.
During this episode, McNulty shares key approaches that public health officials can apply to build trust in their communities, which is essential in any crisis. As McNulty describes, public health officials can position themselves as a trusted voice by engaging in day-to-day conversations with their communities, lead through complexities by identifying the disconnect in a crisis, and make it a daily practice to strengthen communications outreach plans that are relatable and easy to grasp. It is also important to prioritize a crisis recovery plan when preparing for the next public health emergency. Early next year, NACCHO will convene at the 2025 Preparedness Summit, which aims to explore this topic further through the theme of “Pathways to Recovery in the Aftermath of Disasters.” For more information on how to obtain a media pass for the 2025 Preparedness Summit please contact lharley@naccho.org – limited passes are available.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, August 23, 2024 — On this month’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, provided an outlook for federal funding this fall, amid the summer Congressional recess and the upcoming election season. They also discussed the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill (also known as the Labor-HHS bill), and how that sets up possible funding negotiations later this year. For more updates and to subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy.
Later in the program (6:34), NACCHO’s Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs, and Meghan Shea, Senior Program Analyst - Informatics, discussed key findings from NACCHO’s 2024 Public Health Informatics Profile. The first-of-its-kind assessment fills a key gap in our nation’s understanding of the information science workforce, data systems, and the overall scope of informatics at the local public health level. The findings illuminate a wide picture of informatics and data modernization efforts across the country. Notably, key findings show that while over half of local health departments are working on data modernization initiatives, most are doing so without a dedicated informatics team or department. There is also a high level of interest in using AI, with over half of local health departments interested in adapting AI or machine learning into their work.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, July 12, 2024 — On this month’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, discussed the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill (also known as the Labor-HHS bill). The bill covers topline dollar amounts for key public health agencies as well as programs important to local health departments. For more updates and to subscribe to the weekly newsletter, visit: www.naccho.org/advocacy.
Later in the program (6:26), NACCHO’s Kellie Hall, Director of Data Communications; Robin Mowson, Director of Immunization; and Amy Maxson, Senior Program Analyst, discussed key findings from the 2023 Immunization Profile Study released last month. The report shows that half of local health departments reported limited staffing as a key challenge in conducting immunization-related services, despite the recent growth in the overall workforce driven by COVID-related funding. Local health departments have improved access to routine immunizations by expanding clinics in community settings and fostering partnerships with healthcare providers or community leaders. Despite the increased activities to expand access, 82% of local health departments still reported that vaccine hesitancy was a barrier to conducting immunization-related activities.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, June 14, 2024 — On this month’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, provided an outlook on the Fiscal Year 2025 federal funding landscape and the implications for local public health.
Later in the program (5:02), NACCHO’s Kellie Hall, Director of Data Communications; David Okereke, Senior Research Specialist; Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs; and Meghan Shea, Senior Program Analyst for Informatics, discussed important research findings from NACCHO’s 2023 Forces of Change Survey, which assesses changes in local health department infrastructure driven by public health trends. The recently released report describes local health department billing capacity, the use and growth of the community health worker workforce, social determinants of health activities, and data modernization efforts.
To learn more about the findings from the 2023 Forces of Change Survey, visit www.naccho.org/forces.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, May 17, 2024 — On this month’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Adriane Casalotti, Chief of Government and Public Affairs, and Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs discussed the current status of the H5N1 avian “bird” flu outbreak in dairy cattle and the situation on coordinating a federal-level response, from making personal protective equipment (PPE) readily available to testing livestock and farmworkers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that local health departments connect individuals to testing if they observe an increase in sick animals and farmworkers, utilize CDC communication resources, and ensure that farms and farmworkers have access to PPE.
Later in the program (13:24), Elana Filipos, Program Analyst on the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health team at NACCHO, and Mary “Maret” Wachira, Health Educator Consultant and IBCLC at the Florida Department of Health in Citrus County (DOH-Citrus), discussed how DOH-Citrus initiated a pilot program to provide prenatal care and treatment for pregnant people with substance use disorders (SUDs). Drug overdose deaths in pregnant and postpartum women increased significantly between early 2018 to late 2021, according to a recent study by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health. However, pregnant people seeking support for an SUD during the perinatal period may face stigmatizing barriers to care that prevent them from accessing medical treatment and behavioral interventions. To address this growing public health concern, DOH-Citrus implemented a holistic prenatal care service model that incorporates Medication for Opioid Use Disorder services and mental health counseling during routine prenatal care appointments to improve outcomes for pregnant people and infants in their community.
Learn more about the Citrus County program via a journal article published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal, titled “Addressing Perinatal Opioid Use at a Local Health Department in Florida.”
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, April 19, 2024 — On this month’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, spoke about recent changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program and final FY2024 funding amounts for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, which include programs and agencies crucial for public health. Sign up here to receive our Congressional Action Alerts.
Later in the program (5:14), Emily Winkelstein, Director of Overdose Prevention at NACCHO, and Dr. Michael Kilkenny, Chief Executive of the Cabell-Huntington Health Department in West Virginia and incoming NACCHO President, discussed efforts to advance evidence-based overdose prevention initiatives on a local level, with a focus on communities particularly hard-hit by overdose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released its overdose mortality data for 2022 showing that while fatal overdose rates remained somewhat stable between 2021 and 2022, the number of fatal overdoses had claimed the lives of 107,941 peope in 2022. The data also shows that synthetic opioids combined with stimulants, coming from supply contamination, polysubstance use, or both, are drivers in the fourth wave of the overdose crisis. Dr. Kilkenny discussed some of the harm reduction strategies his jurisdiction has implemented, the importance of using a holistic approach to substance use that centers dignity and respect for people who use drugs, and why using data to understand the scope and needs of the communities most impacted will help address the overdose crisis.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the country’s over 3,300 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.
Washington, DC, March 22, 2024 — On this month’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, recapped NACCHO’s annual Local Public Health on the Hill event, which engaged over 100 Congressional Offices on key policy and funding needs of local health departments. Later, they discussed the release of President Biden’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget proposal. Learn more about the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program, and read NACCHO’s blog post, “White House Release President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Proposal.”
Later in the program (6:21), Robin Mowson, Director of Immunization at NACCHO, and Amber Tirmal, Immunization Program Manager at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, discussed the recent measles outbreak in the United States and initiatives they have implemented to prevent another spread in Philadelphia. As of March 14, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 58 measles cases in 17 different states, matching the total number of U.S. cases reported in 2023. Earlier this year, Philadelphia had eight confirmed cases. Now that their outbreak is over, they continue to focus their efforts on using data-driven approaches to identify and address lower pockets of vaccination coverage, educating communities on vaccine health and building key partnerships, specifically with the local school district. Listen to the episode and read NACCHO’s new blog on the measles outbreak.
###
About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the country’s over 3,300 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.
On this month’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, gives an update on the FY2024 appropriations negotiations and what to expect from Congress.
Later in the program (2:36), Timothy McCall, NACCHO’s Director of Research, was joined by NACCHO staff, Adriane Casalotti, Chief of Government and Public Affairs, and Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs, to discuss on the recent release of the 2022 National Profile of Local Health Departments (Profile Study).
The Profile Study represents the largest and most reliable data source on local health department infrastructure and practice. In their conversation, they dig into key findings about the current local health department workforce, including that more than 70% of local health departments reported that their agency, leadership, or personnel experienced harassment because of COVID-19 response activities. They also discussed the most recent data on the size of the local health department workforce and the context that likely contributed to it, as an influx of funding during the pandemic helped bolster the workforce to grow by 19%. They note that this increase is almost certainly short-lived without additional, long-term investment in the local health department workforce.
With the new Profile data now published, the group also discussed how these data are being used to help drive NACCHO’s policy advocacy at the federal level. One of NACCHO’s top priorities is to support all local health departments and serve staff at all levels by advocating for funding to support new positions, improve recruiting efforts with the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment program, and boost retention by providing key training, support, and professional development opportunities for local health department staff.
On this week’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, cover the appropriations process and give an update on government funding, including rescissions of unobligated funds. They also discuss NACCHO’s 2024 legislative and policy agenda, highlighting this year’s most important issues for local public health.
Sign up for the weekly newsletter: News from Washington - NACCHO
On this week’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affairs, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, provided a Congressional update on upcoming government funding challenges. They also discussed recent letters that NACCHO sent to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion on Healthy People 2030 objectives and to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of STD Prevention about its proposed guidelines on the use of doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent STI transmission.
Later in the program (4:50), Timothy McCall, NACCHO’s Director of Research, hosted a discussion with co-authors Rita Burke, Associate Professor of Clinical Population and Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine; Larissa Chiari-Keith, Chief Executive Officer of Alala Advisors; and Emma Hunter, Health Emergency Preparedness Analyst at San Mateo County Health, to talk about their recently published qualitative analysis of California public health officials’ experiences of harassment during COVID-19.
NACCHO's Forces of Change survey found that 60% of local health departments reported their agency, leadership, and/or staff were targeted with harassment during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, one study found that 20% of Americans felt that harassing public health leaders was justified early in the pandemic; this rose to 25% in 2021. Even though this harassment crisis surfaced three years ago, the impacts on individuals, communities, and the public health system persist.
NACCHO is drawing attention to this urgent issue. The study aimed to collect qualitative data highlighting the harrowing stories from local health officials and to better understand their experiences of harassment. The pandemic not only exposed vulnerabilities in the public health and healthcare system, but it also subjected local health officials to psychological impacts, systemic backlash, and burnout.
On this week's podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials' Victoria Van de Vate, Director of Government Affiars, and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, provided an update on the new "laddered" Continuing Resolution, which created two funding deadlines in early 2024 and avoided an end-of-year government shutdown. They gave an analysis on the House Labor-HHS bill. Also, Mastroberardino and Van de Vate discussed NACCHO's recent response to an RFI from Senator Bill Cassidy on modernizing the CDC as well as a letter that NACCHO sent to the White House Drug Shortage Task Force urging them to prioritize the Bicillin L-A shortage, which is the only treatement available to pregnant individuals with syphilis.
Later in the program (6:08), NACCHO Senior Program Analyst Bianca Lawrence spoke with Susan Tilgner, Executive Director at Ohio Public Health Partnership, and Belinda Leslie, an Administrator with the Portsmouth City Health Department in Portsmouth, Ohio, who are using performance improvement to build the ability of local health departments to improve the quality of their operations and programming and make sure that they meet national public health standards. Ohio Public Health Partnership has participated in the Statewide Association Performance Improvement Training and Technical Assistance Support Initiative to provide tailored accreditation support to local health departments in Ohio, such as Portsmouth City, through their Accreditation Learning Community. Accreditation, like many performance improvement programs, assist local governmental public health in improving their organizational infrastructure so that they can better support all people in their community to live their healthiest lives. Tilgner and Leslie discuss the unique opportunity provided by the Accreditation Learning Community to develop meaningful performance metrics and network with local health department peers in Ohio to learn best practices for accreditation and performance improvement.
